HSJ: How specialist mesh services fared in their first year

Summary

Specialist centres for those affected by mesh implants, as recommended by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review, became operational formally in April 2021. HSJ analyses how they performed in their first year.

Content

Freedom of information request responses received from seven of the nine trusts running the specialist mesh services showed variable performance, including long waiting times and only a handful of patients treated at some centres.

The average waiting time from referral to treatment in 2021-22 was approximately 175 days – the equivalent of around 25 weeks – across all responses, but ranged from 7.4 weeks at Manchester University Foundation Trust to more than eight months at University College London Hospitals FT.

Meanwhile, the proportion of patients treated in 2021-22 compared to the number referred was around 29% across all seven trusts which provided comparable data. This ranged from 115 patients referred and 62 treated (the equivalent of 54%) at Manchester University FT to 72 patients referred and six treated (8%) at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust.

Across all seven trusts which responded to the FOIs with comparable data, 742 patients were referred and 214 were treated.

The FOI responses also revealed at least 15 patients referred to specialist mesh services withdrew before treatment. Nine of these patients were at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, while four were at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals FT.